Steven Bailey raising hell for Katter on gay marriage

The 29-year-old composer and theatre director, Steven Bailey, told Fairfax Media that the party’s national director, Aidan McLindon, called him on Friday morning and asked him to reconsider both his position on gay marriage and his candidacy.

Mr Katter had endorsed Mr Bailey to run for one of the two Senate seats in the ACT.

”I won’t be stepping down,” Mr Bailey said. ”It’s a decision the party has to make.”

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‘‘I was directed by the president to call Steven Bailey this morning to ask if he could step down of his own accord given that his position on marriage was in direct conflict with the Katter Australia Party’s core values and principles.”

On another note SimSim had questioned Steven’s theatrical credentials to which Steven gchatted me this not an hour ago:

Hey John, that fellow who has never heard of me before might do well to know that I’ve been commissioned to score a bloody opera in Hong Kong for this March; have managed two operas in Canberra and having just staged a play at Narrabundah College in November last year.

You really have to ask why a person who supports gay marriage would even consider joining Katter’s band of merry ratbags.

I don’t know, why would someone who supports gay marriage join the Labor party? Their position on it is pretty much the same as Katter’s.

Now that, right there, is a very good point indeed.

My father grew up on a farm in rural NSW in a house with dirt floors and no electricity. He rode a horse to his school, which had all 8 grades in one one room. In his world you voted for the Country Party or you were considered a nutter. But he’s a smart guy. He threw off the shackles of stupidity and ignorance, obtained an economics degree from UQ at the age of 37 while working like a dog raising a family of three kids and finished his career as senior public servant.

He’s voted Labor all his life. He’s a 78 year old straight man from a peasant farming background who has socialist views and 78 year old gay mates. And now he despairs of the political party he’s supported all his life. As I was growing up, I was immersed in his views. Now I’m a 50 year old straight man from a peasant farming background with socialist views and 50 year old gay mates. And now I too despair of the political party I’ve supported all my life

You really have to ask why a person who supports gay marriage would even consider joining Katter’s band of merry ratbags.

I don’t know, why would someone who supports gay marriage join the Labor party? Their position on it is pretty much the same as Katter’s.

Now that, right there, is a very good point indeed.

My father grew up on a farm in rural NSW in a house with dirt floors and no electricity. He rode a horse to his school, which had all 8 grades in one one room. In his world you voted for the Country Party or you were considered a nutter. But he’s a smart guy. He threw off the shackles of stupidity and ignorance, obtained an economics degree from UQ at the age of 37 while working like a dog raising a family of three kids and finished his career as senior public servant.

He’s voted Labor all his life. He’s a 78 year old straight man from a peasant farming background who has socialist views and 78 year old gay mates. And now he despairs of the political party he’s supported all his life. As I was growing up, I was immersed in his views. Now I’m a 50 year old straight man from a peasant farming background with socialist views and 50 year old gay mates. And now I too despair of the political party I’ve supported all my life

Hi folks,
I appreciate the respectful tone of the conversation. I have a fundamental belief that politics works best when people are challenged. The notion that people choose a party and defend it no matter what, is an impoverishment of independent thinking – independent thinking is what creates a good party, and is so lacking in the other parties.
Advocates for gay marriage must realise that the argument will not be won by those who fight it with fury, invade the morals of others, or accuse their supporters of cynicism – it will be won by those who have the ability to disarm their oppositions with heart and candour. This is not my role because it’s my responsibility to engage in a plethora of issues; but you have my support. Those who think that this question is akin to the greatest moral accomplishments of the free world in decades past are mistaken.
The great questions that I think we must face are these: do we believe that parliament should be the contest of ideas or the playground of irrelevance? Do we believe in Nation Building anymore or shall we sell the people’s assets and destroy our ability to support ourselves? Does Australia agree that the purpose of food production in this country is to serve the dominance of two corporate mongrels, or not? Is Australia content just digging holes in the ground in the interests of foreign companies or do we want to develop the capacity of Australia to process its minerals? Do we think that those who serve the public should be used as the kicking ball for governments every time they need to save money, or should we abide by a principle of natural attrition? How can we expect students to live on less than five-hundred dollars a fortnight? Do we want a manufacturing industry or not? Do we want affordable housing or not? Do we want fast rail or not? Do we want to invest in teachers or do want to invest in sheds? And shall we learn about the cultures of our First Australians or not?
The Labor party is fundamentally undemocratic, and an undemocratic party, other than becoming irrelevant, is a philosophical contradiction within a democratic country. The Coalition stands for nothing. The have treated the public like mugs over the past two years and they are obviously hiding from us many of the real aspirations they have for our country – Abbott is a great fighter but with no cause. The greens have treated our farmers like the very dirt on which they stand, believing that they themselves invented the word sustainable. I admit, they are not without their virtues, but they attract a self-righteous middle-class youth, not an informed youth, that would lead our country further towards economic, industrial and international impotence.

I stand up to my party, and I stand with my party too. We are the party of developmentalism and this is good for every Australian. In order to make the right decisions we must be prepared to question our preconceptions? The KAP will be asking people to think outside of their preconceptions and I am proud of this. Please judge me on my words, my deeds, and the content of my character. I’m not asking for anyone’s vote; I either earn it or I don’t.

Fairfax Radio is reporting that Bailey has been dis-endorsed as KAP’s Senate candidate and has been forced to resign over his support for gay marriage. This is despite earlier reports that Katter had personally intervened to save him.

Steven really thought this whole thing through, didn’t he?

He joins a political party lead by a hick from FNQ, and known for it’s member’s rabid, redneck views on many issues – and then finds they don’t support his views on gay marriage???

What’s next – standing for election to the Australian Christian Lobby Board?

Does Mal Meninga’s record for the shortest potential political career still stand?

Fairfax Radio is reporting that Bailey has been dis-endorsed as KAP’s Senate candidate and has been forced to resign over his support for gay marriage. This is despite earlier reports that Katter had personally intervened to save him.

You really have to ask why a person who supports gay marriage would even consider joining Katter’s band of merry ratbags.

I don’t know, why would someone who supports gay marriage join the Labor party? Their position on it is pretty much the same as Katter’s.

Now that, right there, is a very good point indeed.

My father grew up on a farm in rural NSW in a house with dirt floors and no electricity. He rode a horse to his school, which had all 8 grades in one one room. In his world you voted for the Country Party or you were considered a nutter. But he’s a smart guy. He threw off the shackles of stupidity and ignorance, obtained an economics degree from UQ at the age of 37 while working like a dog raising a family of three kids and finished his career as senior public servant.

He’s voted Labor all his life. He’s a 78 year old straight man from a peasant farming background who has socialist views and 78 year old gay mates. And now he despairs of the political party he’s supported all his life. As I was growing up, I was immersed in his views. Now I’m a 50 year old straight man from a peasant farming background with socialist views and 50 year old gay mates. And now I too despair of the political party I’ve supported all my life

I wish this guy all the best in his political endeavours, but he seems about as well prepared as Mal Meninga. I don’t think I want to be represented by someone with such poor decision-making skills based on his (very short) record so far.